BILLINGS — It’s safe to say Sy Pizzolato is a pretty good lip reader. But that doesn’t mean he spends school days eavesdropping from across the classroom.
“I think the main thing is, I would probably be either bored by their conversation, or I’d be probably listening to the teacher instead of listening to whatever,” he deadpanned before a recent practice.
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Pizzolato's lipreading isn’t by choice. The outstanding swimmer from Billings Senior has a severe hearing impairment, at least an 82-decibel loss in his best ear. For years he’s lived with hearing aids. But that hasn’t stopped his sense of humor.
“I was told that my hearing is slowly declining, which is not a great thing to hear. I mean, it’s not comparative to, ‘You have six months to live.’ But it’s the idea of, oh, I’m losing my hearing— maybe because I’m blasting music in my hearing aids, which is probably not the best thing I need to do," he said with a knowing smile. "I think it’s kind of been at a stable level and we’ll see how the future treats me.”
The future already seems to be treating him well. Pizzolato is qualified for the 2025 Deaflympics this November in Tokyo.
When MTN Sports caught up with him a couple years ago, he’d earned three medals — including gold in the 400 free mixed relay — at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Argentina. And, as he heads toward graduation, Pizzolato is also a three-time high school state champ.
“In 2024, I won the 100-meter freestyle and the 200-meter fly. And this year I won the 500 free," Pizzolato recalled. "In high school, it’s a whole different atmosphere. To be honest, it can get a little tense.”
That's partly because he’s competing against the good friends he’s grown up swimming with at the Billing Aquatic Club.
Next he’ll swim collegiately at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he plans to major in chemistry and, ultimately, chemical engineering. Though with the upcoming Deaflympics, Pizzolato is already aware of class time he’ll miss while in Tokyo.
“It will be made up for greatly being able to have the experience of a lifetime,” he said.
Pizzolato has seemingly filled out scholarship applications left and right, and among those earned was the Midland Roundtable’s Kathy and Nicki Maier Award, a heartfelt surprise. The $500 scholarship is presented to a graduating senior deemed "most courageous athlete" by the Roundtable committee.
"College is expensive. Five hundred dollars is amazing and I’m very thankful that they were able to support me with that,” he said with appreciation.
Pizzolato is also thankful for his coach and parents, because, he says, without them who knows where he might be.
“Bottom of the pool, bottom of the pool,” he said with a smile.
Thoughtfully, he also said it twice for those trying to read lips.
